Latter Day Sinner

Chapter 10

Frank, in his own not-so-humble opinion, thought he'd been very good at not thinking too hard about Gerard in the week that followed, all things considered.
Sure, occasionally the velvet smooth slide of their lips as the collided would occasionally appear in his head, or the way Gerard panted with pure lust, moaning as he gripped his arms.
And, of course, there was that ever-present image of the swell of Gerard's cock pressing eagerly against his jeans. That was practically burned to the back of Frank's retinas. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake the thought that he had made a Priest get an erection. It was a sexier idea than perhaps it should have been.

Of course, and understandably, Frank found himself recounting the whole encounter to Mia, who watched him with genuine intrigue, her eyebrows lifting delicately in surprise. Or maybe she was just judging him. He couldn't be sure – but wouldn't blame her either way.

"So...so wait. You're telling me that he was having a moral crisis about his vows, and that this ended up with you guys making out?" she asked slowly. Frank blushed and nodded, chewing his lip. Mia snickered.
"Damn, Iero. If I hadn't met you both, I'd say that story was fake as hell," she giggled. Frank sighed, running a hand through his hair and leaning back on her bed. He stared up at the ceiling, as if the white plaster might hold in it some secret to his situation.

"So that's it. And I agreed to help him out on Sunday and...God, I don't know. I never thought it'd go this far," he murmured, biting his lip. Mia gave a little snort and leaned back so her back was against his side.

"You didn't think it'd go this far, no. But you didn't try to stop it, either," she murmured softly, glancing back at him. Frank closed his eyes and let out a sigh. As much as he wished he could tell her she was wrong, she wasn't. This was entirely his own fault. He should have respected Gerard's wishes and just stayed away.

"I know. And maybe it's too late to fix it now, but I wanna try," he murmured. "He looked so...defeated. Like I'd smashed down a wall he'd spent forever building. And...and I don't want him to stop being a Priest because of me. I don't want him to have to let go of all that,"

"Then stop,"

"I can't. I mean. I can't just leave him alone. But I think I can make sure he stays on his path," he murmured. He glanced up at Mia with a soft frown.
"He said he hasn't been tempted in years. But he didn't say he hadn't been tempted ever. Maybe I could find out what happened last time," he murmured. Mia shrugged.

"Could be an idea. Just be careful, okay? He has so much more to lose than you," she said softly.
Frank let out a shaky laugh. He knew. He knew too damn well that Gerard was risking his soul for this.

By Sunday, Frank had almost decided that he wasn't going to go. He did, though. Of course he did. No matter what façade he may try to conjure, he knew he wouldn't be able to go too long without seeing the Priest. Even if it was just on a friendship basis, he knew he needed the other man.
But, of course, it wasn't on a friendship basis.

"Frank, I'm glad to see you," Gerard said coolly when Frank approached him in the vestry. His expression was calm and composed; almost mask-like in its impassiveness. His voice held the texture of the pages of an old book – crisp, dry, but still bursting with character. No matter how poised Gerard tried to act, he'd never be able to shake his Jersey drawl, that probably had more place in a nightclub than a Church. Frank smiled weakly.

"Good morning Father. You...you look well," he murmured. The statement was almost amusing, because Frank actually hadn't looked at him yet. His eyes were fixed on the floor. His shoes, he had decided, had less power over him than Gerard's galaxy-swirled hazel eyes.
Gerard, regardless, smiled fondly.